Category Archives: Middle East

Israel is finally emerging as a natural gas player in the Mediterranean. In the last week of January, the Israeli Navy conducted a complex drill simulating attacks on the country’s offshore oil and gas infrastructure. The exercise included coordinated operations between dozens of naval vessels and aircraft, and even incorporated a live-fire missile test against

President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria resonates beyond the Middle East, where key American allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others are raising questions about Washington’s reliability. America’s credibility is on the line, worldwide—even as National Security Advisory John Bolton appears to walk the decision back and condition it

The U.S. is assembling its allies in Warsaw this week to coordinate Middle East policy– but with limited success. EU policy chief Federica Mogherini, joined by China, Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, and Qatar are boycotting the gathering, opting to adopt a more diplomatic, business-focused, and ‘less confrontational’ track with the Islamic Republic. Continued

November 27, 2017 Originally posted in the National Interest: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/russia-roaring-back-the-middle-east-while-america-asleep-23323 Russia is back in the Middle East. The Kremlin is methodically creating a systematic geopolitical challenge to the interests of the United States and its allies. Moscow’s behavior is driven by a quest for prestige and influence, and a search for markets of its arms

The Huffington Post By Ariel Cohen May 8, 2017 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5910763de4b046ea176aed40 Many in Washington feared Trump would sell out to Russia. That never happened. Sanctions against Russia over Ukraine are in place. Syria was hit with 59 Tomahawk missiles. Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. To quote Nikki Haley,

Bloomberg Markets AM with Pimm Fox and Lisa Abramowicz “Atlantic Council’s Ariel Cohen: Putin is Doubling Down on Assad” April 12, 2017 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2017-04-12/atlantic-council-s-ariel-cohen-putin-is-doubling-down-on-assad GUEST: Ariel Cohen, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and director of the Center for Energy, Natural Resources and Geopolitics at the IAGS, on Syria, Russia and how oil plays a factor.

Polizette “Trump Strike Brings Risk of Entanglement or ‘Red Line’ Moment” By Brendan Kirby April 7, 2017 http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/trump-still-risks-of-red-line-moment-after-syrian-strike/ In deciding on a missile strike against Syria on Thursday, President Donald Trump is still at risk of creating his own “red line” moment, according to foreign policy experts from across the political spectrum. Trump took the

The Washington Diplomat “World Turns Blind Eye to Yemen’s Civil War, Rohingya Refugees and South Sudan’s Famine” By Larry Luxner Updated March 30, 2017 http://www.washdiplomat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15159:world-turns-blind-eye-to-yemens-civil-war-rohingya-refugees-and-south-sudans-famine&catid=1556&Itemid=428 With world headlines focused on North Korea’s nuclear tests, Russia’s ties to the Trump administration and landmark elections in France, it’s easy to forget about three ethnic conflicts that show